Financial Aid

Need Help?

Financial aid helps pay the cost of attending college, which includes tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation, and other educational expenses. Some financial aid is based on financial need and some financial aid is awarded based on other criteria such as grades. Financial aid includes grants, scholarships, and student loans. It comes from a variety of sources including the Federal government, New York State, colleges, community organizations, associations, and other groups. Please refer to the links below for more information on applying for financial aid.

Getting Started

FAFSA: The Federal Student Aid Application

FAFSA is a common application provided by the U.S. Department of Education that is used to determine your eligibility for federal loans, grants and work study programs. It is also the first step in applying for New York State aid. Colleges use the information in your FAFSA application to provide financial aid. The FAFSA website also provides access to free expert help, either online or on the phone.

TAP: The New York State Tuition Assistance Program

The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) is the state’s financial aid agency that provides need based grant
and scholarship award money to prospective college students. HESC administers the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP),
which helps eligible New York residents pay tuition at approved schools in New York State.
TAP is a grant, so it does not have to be paid back.

Your College Admissions / Financial Aid Offices

Help and answers along the way

Your admissions office and financial aid offices are your best ongoing resources for help and questions. They can help you find tuition assistance, grants and scholarships, and help you determine what mix of assistance works best for you and your specific program and college.

Scholarships for Early Childhood Professionals

EIP: Educational Incentive Program

The Educational Incentive Program (EIP) is a scholarship program that helps child care providers pay for training and educational activities with the intent to build provider knowledge, skills, and competencies in order to improve the quality of child care.

Scholarships for CUNY Students

Patti Lieberman Scholarship for Early Childhood Education

The Patti Lieberman Scholarship for Early Childhood Education provides tuition support to students enrolled in one of two certificate programs offered by CUNY SPS: the Children’s Program Administrator Credential or the Child Development Associate Certificate. This scholarship can only be applied to student tuition costs.

Career Success Scholarship — Helena Rubinstein

The Career Success Scholarship – Helena Rubinstein is open to individuals who seek to advance their careers through education and training, and who do not have access to other sources of funding that can pay for tuition and fees.

Nancy Klinger Memorial Scholarship

The Nancy Klinger Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to honor the memory of Nancy Klinger, the first Coordinator of the Children's Program Administrator Credential (CPAC) project. This scholarship supports current students in their efforts to complete the CPAC. Eligible students must be in good academic standing, have completed at least nine CPAC credits, and demonstrate a commitment to leading high quality programs for young children.

Recipients must be nominated by CPAC faculty, who submit nominations to the CPAC Scholarship Committee at cpac@earlychildhoodny.org. Recipients will received a scholarship to cover the tuition costs for one CPAC course credit. One scholarship may be awarded in each of the Fall and Spring semesters.

Early Childhood Scholarship

The New York Early Child Professional Development Institute offers need-based financial assistance to help cover the cost of tuition and fees for undergraduate or graduate courses that lead to the CDA or CPAC. To be eligible for a financial aid award, recipient must maintain satisfactory academic progress and his/her student account must be in good standing. The scholarship may cover 50% to 100% of the recipient’s tuition and fees for the semester. Please email cpac@earlychildhoodny.org for more information.

The application should be filled out and submitted following the instructions. CPAC students are also asked to submit a letter of recommendation.

QUALITYstarsNY Quality Scholars

QUALITYstarsNY is New York's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS).
Early childhood professionals that participate in QUALITYstarsNY may access funding for professional development activities through an initiative known as Quality Scholars.

Additional Resources

U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid

The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website is a rich source of information about the FAFSA and other financial aid issues. This website explains the various types of financial aid that are available, who qualifies for aid, and how to apply.

U.S. Department of Postsecondary Education

The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) website provides useful information on federal student aid programs, federal student loans, and grants. The site helps students to complete the FAFSA, correct their Student Aid Report (SAR), and find out if their FAFSA application was processed.